1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the potable water art and, more particularly, to an improved filter container for positioning, installation and maintenance within the limited space of boats and ships.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The history of potable water processing onboard boats and ships has provided many prior attempts to solve the problem of installing staged systems along with the required connections between stages within the limited confines of a boat or ship. Initial installation may be simple during construction of the boat or ship. But retro-fitting of older vessels and maintenance of the systems require subsystem elements and the connections there between to be accessible, replaceable and alignable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,828 describes a pressure filter vessel arrangement which utilizes a housing with an end cap at each end. The upper and lower end caps are held within the pressure vessel by external tie rods secured together with nuts on each end. Maintenance service of this configuration is difficult and time consuming. Upon removal of the top nuts to remove the top cap to gain access to the vessel to service the filters, the vessel is free to move off lower cap. The next step of removal of the nuts which hold down the individual filter elements, removal of the multiple filter elements from the vertical pipes, replacement of the filter elements onto the pipes and tightening of the nuts on each element may disturb the alignment of the flow block with the vessel container. The user must reseat the vessel on the lower end cap flow block, insert the top cap and have all four external, vertical tie rods in the proper alignment while equally tightened the nuts to maintain this vertical alignment. If the alignment is lost during this process, the vessel will leak and the user must tear down and try again.
Thus, there has long been a need for a connection arrangement utilizing both rotatable and longitudinal adjustment rather than a non-adjustable, non-positionable simple threaded pipe fitting to a flange or union which may result in a fixed, non-alignment to the orifice of the vessel.
Further, it is also desired that, in order to allow convenient servicing, such as replacement of the filter element, access to the vessel should be placed at a convenient surface and easy to open. The filter element should be easy to remove and replace, and such servicing should not compromise the integrity of the vessel or any existing seals within the vessel. Pressure monitoring should be provided on both sides of the filter.
Further, it is also desired that, in order to allow use in salt water processing systems, that the device be resistant to corrosion.